thanksgiving II

Tonight was awesome! The snow had all melted, it was nearly forty degrees and it was soooo nice seeing Grammy and Boppa!  We had a HUGE amount of food, watched the Thanksgiving Macy's Parade again, got new PJ's, played X-BOX with my Dad and brothers, and we all watched A Christmas Carol!  It couldn't have been a better Thanksgiving II.  I better go, whatever that something is that makes you sleepy after you eat turkey is getting to me now giggle.

*Allie*

thanksgiving I



Look at the MASSIVE turkey!!!



Well since it snowed, Grammy and Boppa couldn't come up because of the roads, so we had a little Thanksgiving for the family five.  We made everything you usually make for Thanksgiving, we got really full as usual, and we even watched the first Christmas movie of the year!  It was awesome!  We watched It's A Wonderful Life (one of my many favorite Christmas movies).  Also, as usual, we were very sleepy after we ate (there must be something in the turkey); so I (and many others in the family five) almost fell asleep a few times during the movie.  Over all, a very nice Thanksgiving I.

Dad made a snowman, it was awesome!  Indy wasn't so sure about it though ; )



Zack (left), Nick (right), and me!  (Jack in the back)

*Allie*

happy thanksgiving!

We have so much to be thankful for.  One day a year hardly seems adequate... 

*Allie*

colder(er) than ever

A couple of  mornings ago, it snowed.  It was so beautiful, so pretty, it was the first snow fall of the year!  How exciting!  Well, it's Wednesday now and we have five inches of hard pack snow everywhere.  No on can leave there house just to get to our own grocery store that's five minutes away.  Yesterday, it got down to eight point five degrees!  It was soooooo cold!  To make things worse, we might not even see our grandparents for Thanksgiving >o<



We have a lot of hills in our neighbor hood.  Sure it's fun to sled down them, but that's one of the BIG problems we have hanging over our heads right now.  That's also why we can't go to our grocery store that's five minutes away.
Pictures of what it's like over here.  Before and afters. 

Awww, that's so elegant!

That's Not!

This is...NOT!!!

I am seriously bummed that my grandparents might not be able to come up for Thanksgiving.  The night of Thanksgiving, we get to watch the first Christmas movie of the year.  So I always do something special like making movie posters, movie tickets, and little snack booths to hand out cocoa and candy canes to people.  Well, that's been a tradition since I was like six.  So can you see how I'm soooo bummed.  We're planning to have "Thanksgiving" on Friday.  But it's not the same!  I want it to be the same day every year, it's traditional... and I'm traditional (I got that line from a Phineas and Ferb song)!
Well at least I'll have another exciting story to tell to my kids someday... the story not the song giggle!

*Allie*

christy miller series

Oh my gosh!  This series is a must read!

The series starts out with a fourteen year old girl who goes through regular teen situations, drugs, drinking, boys.  Yet through all of those times,  she follows God and goes through hoops and swings to understand the things He puts in her life.  Following this particular series are;  Sierra Jensen series, Christy and Todd the college years, and Katie Weldon series which only has three books out so far.  The authors name is
Robin Jones Gunn, who also wrote  Sister Chicks series (I think it's for older women thirty and up), The Glenbrooke series (I haven't read them yet), and even children's books.
I recommend this series to girls from ages eleven to age twenty five (or older).

*Allie*

my lil' friend ponyo

Ponyo

One of my new favorite movies is Ponyo.  It's a Disney movie that is directed by a Japanese man (I forgot his name), but the movie is so so so sooooooo CUTE!  Ponyo is a little fish in the sea and her father says she is not aloud to go to the shore (kinda like The Little Mermaid).  Well she goes to the shore one day and meets this little boy named Sosuke and she falls in love with him (they're like nine years old, it's cute).  Ponyo eventually turns into human and can talk to Sosuke.  It is the cutest Disney movie I have ever seen!  I'm asking for the movie and the plushie  for Christmas.

I also have like a lot of Ponyo songs on my ipod and have a lot on my wish list!  They are just adorable!

Sosuke with his boat

Ponyo and Sosuke

Since Ponyo is half fish and half human, she can run on water!



Oh yeah, Ponyo loves ham!  giggle



 *Allie*



Zzzzzzzzzz....

I don't know why but I have been so dang tired!  My Mom has been sick and I've been sleeping until like ten-forty five in the morning and I'm still tired... is that normal or is it just me?  Or maybe I'm catching something.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... snork!  I'm awake!  I just needed a little two minute nap on my desk (I actually did take a nap on my desk).  YAWN  I'm gonna... go back to... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Morning?  Now? Seriously?  GROAN!

*Allie*

P.S.  I don't snore!

another one of those days

Do you ever have one of those days?  Where you wake up in the morning, you feel like doing something, like playing your guitar?  You're playing The First Noel the Aly & AJ version and you're really into the song....
until your hand loses the grip on the pick, and it falls inside of the guitar.  You spend about ten minutes trying to get it out by shaking the guitar upside down.  Finally you get it out and you start to play, but your arms are stiff from shaking the guitar up and down for ten minutes.  So you decide, "Ugh!  It's not worth it!" you put the guitar on the stand.  You sit on your bed for a while and think, "Well maybe one more song..." you pick the guitar up, start to play again, and realize you broke a blood vessel on your pinkie.

Well I did... I mean have one of those days.  Don't get me wrong, I love playing guitar... it's just... another one of those days =^I

*Allie*

god's little reminder

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,  "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11

I think we all need this reminder.  We might be going through really tough times, and we're thinking, "Why would God do this to me at a time like this?  Does He even care about me?"  This Bible verse will remind you that God does care for you, and that He allows these things in your life for a reason.  He doesn't just sit up in His Kingdom, laughing at us, "HAHA!  You spilled your milk on your new blouse!".

We may not always see the hope in all situations.  But it's there.  Our hope is not in our own abilities to figure out the future.  Our hope is in a perfect God who cares about us and has promised never to leave us or forsake us.

Just a little reminder =^D

*Allie*

girls day out

A beautiful view!

So we (Grammy, Mom, and I) had our little "Girls Day Out" when we were on our way to see Grandma and Grandpa!  We haven't had our "Girls Day" in so long so we decided to use this opportunity before we went over to Grandma and Grandpa's ranch.  The definition of our "Girls Day" is we do something different, something fun, something extravagant!  We usually go shopping; have lunch, dinner, or both; or do whatever we feel like... it's our "Girls Day"! 

So when we began driving on the way there, we were talking and I brought up the subject about books.  Mom asked if she could see what book I was reading and I showed her.  Well the book was made into a movie, the movie looked cool, so I got the book at the library.  Well I didn't know that it was an adult book, I thought it was okay for me to read, but Mom said it wasn't an okay book.  I was kinda ticked, so I didn't talk to her for about half hour... maybe more.  She asked Grammy if we could go to a book store, so we did.  We looked for about a half hour and Mom decided to get me the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.  I saw the movie and it was so good!  After we did that I wasn't so mad anymore... don't worry I'm not a spoiled little brat that's nice unless she gets something at every store... I think.

So we walked less than a block to a butcher shop, to find a little snack for the ride.  They had tons of meat (obviously), and cheeses that I haven't even tasted before.  We got meat for Grandpa for his be-laded birthday and some cheese and crackers for us.

Next door to that was a gelato store, and I had never tried it before!  So we went over and they had about fifteen to twenty flavors.  I couldn't decide!  The gal was nice and let me try some; I tasted pistachio and a fruity flavor one and then decided to go with old fashioned chocolate.  Gelato is not my favorite, I would choose ice cream over that any day... but hey, I tried it =^D

Me and my Gelato! giggle

On our way home we decided to go to a Chinese place for dinner.  I love Chinese food, but I had a really bad experience with a pepper.  There were a few unknown peppers on our plates, it was in one of the spicy dishes we chose at the counter.  There were two halves and a whole, Mom and Grammy took the two halves and I took the whole which was like an inch long.  It was a smokey flavor which I did not like, but when my tongue touched the seeds, i felt like my mouth was on fire!  I can take really hot foods, but this was something totally different!  Tears, immediately, started crawling down my cheeks.  I told Mom what was happening.  I think because Mom and Grammy didn't have the same reaction as mine, it was because their peppers were cut, mine was not.  A whole would have more seeds in it, the half would not have as many.  So I was freaking out, drinking my root beer didn't help much but make it worse.  I was worried if I was allergic to this mystery pepper, I was picturing myself being wheeled into the ER.  My tongue was on fire and my throat was on fire, my mouth was numb and tingly, I was crying in public, but luckily everything started to get a little bit better... but not much.  I had been on my third cup of root beer and I could still feel it, but once I got in the car for the ride home, I felt really tired.  So I went to sleep in the car.  I have never in my whole life, had a reaction like that with food... ever!

When I got home, I was so excited to talk with Nick, Zack, and Dad.  It was late at night but I felt so energized with that long nap.  It felt really good to be home... really, really good!

*Allie*

Grandpa and his dog Shadow having a wonderful conversation!

Mom and Me!

Mom and Shadow!

Grammy and her Dad (my Grandpa)!

My favorite dirt road at the ranch!

My Great-Grandpa and Me!

Shadow and Me!

leaf with me

All of our leafs on our tree have fallen off!  It's no fair!  I always watch that tree grow it's leafs, change colors, and fall off.  Since we went to Florida, we missed the leafs change colors.  Once we came back, they were already falling off!  Now it's like... empty!  cry!   MY SPECIAL TREE!

I'll be waiting for the leafs to grow once again ;^)  ... Leaf with me! =cD (quirky smile)

*Allie*

last chance



We (my Grammy, Mom, and I) went to see my (really great) Great-Grandparents!  I call my Mom's parents, Boppa and Grammy, and I call my Grammy's parents Grandpa and Grandma.  Grandpa is ninety-one years old and Grandma will be ninety-one in January.

We went to see them because we knew... that this might be our last chance to see Grandma.  On my Mom's side of the family... it's huge!   Everybody knows Grandma and Grandpa, they have a really close relationship with them.  So to see one of them go... is really going to be hard.

Because I knew this was coming, I knit Grandma a scarf.  It had ninety rows and it was the best scarf I have ever made.  I love to knit scarfs for people!  I made one for Grammy and Boppa, Rachael, and then Grandma... okay so I haven't knit a lot of scarfs for people but I'm trying!  I think I love knitting because it gives you tons of time to think, pray, think, and pray.  I do that a lot while I knit. =^)

When I gave the scarf to Grandma, I think she really liked it!  See, she used to knit, and I think she felt so giddy to know that her great-granddaughter could knit.  After saying thank yous and your welcomes, Grandma said I could have all of her old knitting stuff!  I know right! She had tons of yarn, and bundles of pairs of needles, and patterns!  She even gave me the basket she kept these things in.  That is a real treasure to me!  That time with my (really great) Great-Grandparents was a real treasure to me!

I'll post about the fun "Girls Day" Grammy, Mom, and I had next time!  C U L8R !

*Allie*





once a rule, always a rule

Do you have holiday rules?  Two of my favorite holiday rules are,

*  No listening to Christmas music until after Halloween
*  No watching Christmas movies until the night of Thanksgiving

I used to hate these rules!  I would try to sneak some Christmas music up to my room, or get away with watching a Christmas movie when no one was home.
But now, It's fun to wait until we don't have to be cautious of these rules anymore.  Why?  I don't know... it just is. For me at least.

The night before Halloween, we were carving our pumpkins and someone (who must remain nameless) put on some Christmas music.  My brothers and I were like, "But... it's tradition to wait the day after Halloween to listen to Christmas music."  So after our whole family agreed to stick with the rules, I put in some french music... oui! 

So now that it's after Halloween and we are listening to Christmas music, we are now counting down the days to Thanksgiving so we can then watch Christmas movies!  Once we start listening to Christmas music, you kinda get in the mood for Christmas everything... which gets really hard!  Sure we could brake the rules but it really wouldn't be the same, you know?

So for our family, Once a Rule, Always a Rule!

*Allie*

happy halloween!

I had a blast on Halloween!  My best friend, Rachael, got to go trick or treating with us and we had a lot of fun! I was (as Mom calls it) Pajama Girl.  My brothers were like, "So do you have any super powers?" and I was like, "Noooo!".  Nick was Jason, and Zack was a werewolf.  Rachael's costume was awesome!  She was Indiana Jones!  How awesome is that!  The thing that sucks is that her boots that she wore were killing her! whimper

Ooh Scary!

Aah Creepy!

Aww Cute!

Dad always carves our pumpkins! He always does. Every year, it is always so hard to decide what I want Dad to carve on my pumpkin. Nick did an old fashion pumpkin face, Zack did a scary pumpkin face, and I did an owl pumpkin face with a twinkle in its eyes... like a night owl... for the theme of my costume. Dad did such a good job!

Before! (hey look, hidden Mickey!)





After! Mine on left Nick's on right!

And Zack's! (cue sinister laugh)

So when we got back from trick or treating, we sorted through our piles of candy, and sprayed Lysol all over them. Hey you never know where the candy has been.

Over all Halloween was really awesome! I hope you had a really nice one too! smile

Before trick or treating.
Dad, me , Rachael, Nick, Zack, and Lucy!

*Allie*